About the Author

Sarah Vowell is the bestselling author of Lafayette in the Somewhat United States,Unfamiliar Fishes,The Wordy Shipmates,Assassination Vacation, andThe Partly Cloudy Patriot.

Reviews

"[Vowell's] a complex blend: part brilliant essayist, part pop-culture-loving comedian and a full-time unabashed history geek. The mixture makes her both proudly pointy-headed and forever entertaining."
-"Seattle Times"
"Sarah Vowell lends her engaging voice and keen powers of observation to a work of social history...Provid[ing] a glimpse of what life was really like for the people of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the founders of Plymouth."
-"Los Angeles Times"
"Vowell's words crackle on the printed page...smart, quirky and unabashedly incendiary...Vowell is very funny. She is generous as she wrestles with the moral intricacies of our nation's beginnings and how Puritan contradictions inform our sense of American exceptionalism today..."The Wordy Shipmates" is more than a punk-ish twist on our brave, verbose, tortured forebears, living in their new colony like 'an ashram in the woods.'"
-"Cleveland Plain Dealer"
"For those of us who'd rather harvest our history lessons from "The Simpsons" than the History Channel, Vowell is a latter-day hero...Fascinating."
-"Elle"
"Vowell...reads history with attitude, humor and sensitivity."
-"Minneapolis Star-Tribune"
"[Vowell exercises] her trademark sweet, silly, arch sense of the incongruous ways we memorialize the American past."
-"Chicago Tribune"

"[Vowell''s] a complex blend: part brilliant essayist, part pop-culture-loving comedian and a full-time unabashed history geek. The mixture makes her both proudly pointy-headed and forever entertaining."
-"Seattle Times"

"Sarah Vowell lends her engaging voice and keen powers of observation to a work of social history...Provid[ing] a glimpse of what life was really like for the people of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the founders of Plymouth."
-"Los Angeles Times"

"Vowell''s words crackle on the printed page...smart, quirky and unabashedly incendiary...Vowell is very funny. She is generous as she wrestles with the moral intricacies of our nation''s beginnings and how Puritan contradictions inform our sense of American exceptionalism today..."The Wordy Shipmates" is more than a punk-ish twist on our brave, verbose, tortured forebears, living in their new colony like ''an ashram in the woods.''"
-"Cleveland Plain Dealer"

"For those of us who''d rather harvest our history lessons from "The Simpsons" than the History Channel, Vowell is a latter-day hero...Fascinating."
-"Elle"

"Vowell...reads history with attitude, humor and sensitivity."
-"Minneapolis Star-Tribune"

"[Vowell exercises] her trademark sweet, silly, arch sense of the incongruous ways we memorialize the American past."
-"Chicago Tribune"

Verdict: Vowell's latest mix of humor and history is an entertaining companion to conventional history books. The author's take on early American history will delight those fans who aren't put off by the distracting colloquial tone. Recommended for libraries where Vowell's books are popular. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/08.] Background: Vowell takes on the drama and compelling stories of the Puritans, focusing on Gov. John Winthrop's views on the special mission and destiny of the Puritans who left England for a fresh start and a new religious frontier. She also covers the New World experiences and philosophies of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, with side trips encompassing Native American wars and the Puritans' long-reaching impact on America. An informal retelling of the juiciest bits of the history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, this book is peppered throughout with one-liners, personal reminiscences, anachronistic analogies, and frequent digressions ridiculing George W. Bush.--Elizabeth Morris, Barrington Area Lib., IL Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.